Lena Waithe's New Haircut — and Why It Matters

The trailblazing star put much thought into her fresh cut.

Emma McIntyre/Getty Images

Published August 10, 2018

Published 4 days ago

Lena Waithe debuted a new haircut at a banquet hosted by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association — and, as the trailblazing writer/producer, actress, and LGBTQ advocate explained to Variety, the look was about more than just style. "I felt like I was holding onto a piece of femininity that would make the world feel comfortable with who I am," Waithe said, adding that the shorn look makes her "so free and so happy and so joyful, and I really stepped into myself."

@LenaWaithe loving the new look! I so appreciate you sharing your identity & your journey so openly! It’s especially important for queer folx whose bodies & identities don’t fit into the binary to be visible to each other. Keep up the good work! 🌈🙌🏽

Steve Granitz/WireImageSTYLING AND PROFILINGWaithe explained that at first she felt trepidation about how others would perceive her, but then got over it. As she told Variety on the red carpet: "If people call me a butch or say 'she's stud' or call me sir out in the world — so what? So be it. I’m here with a suit on, not a stitch of makeup, and a haircut — I feel like, 'Why can’t I exist in the world in that way?'"

Steve Granitz/WireImageSHARP-DRESSEDWaithe's full look for the banquet. "I've gotten gayer, guys," she joked on the red carpet.

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Kevin Winter/Getty ImagesIN THE SPOTLIGHTPresenting with Cynthia Erivo at the HFPA banquet.Amanda Edwards/WireImageTWO NIGHTS BEFOREWaithe on the red carpet of the "Crazy Rich Asians" premiere, in a hat that gave nothing away.

Mike Coppola/MG18/Getty Images for The Met Museum/VogueTHE HAIR SHE CUTPreviously Waithe wore her long hair in intricate styles — like this one for the Met Gala.Dimitrios Kambouris/MG18/Getty Images for The Met Museum/VogueCAPEIn her acceptance speech at the 2017 Emmys, Waithe dedicated her win (for her writing work on an episode of "Master of None") to her "LGBTQIA family." "I see each and every one of you," she said. "The things that make us different, those are our superpowers — every day when you walk out the door and put on your imaginary cape and go out there and conquer the world because the world would not be as beautiful as it is if we weren’t in it." (Pictured: Waithe in a memorable rainbow-flag cape at the Met Gala.)